New Ulm weekly review., 1887-11-30
RohlBITioR coNvEN TloM.
The Main Business Was the Adop-
ton Of an Address 10 the Peo-

pie. .
About two hundred delegates were pres
ent at the State Prohibition Convention
in Minneapolis. The convention was call.
ed to order by Rev. J. p. Pinkham, chair.
man OF the state committee. Hon. Noah
Lathrop was made temporary chairman
and w. w. Satterlee temporary secretary.
A committee on resolutions was ap-
pointed consisting OF w. w. Satterlee, j.
e. Pinkham, G. E. Holt, N. p. Lind, Prof.
Farnhatn, w. Peterson, M. Rut, Mrs.
Hobart, Mrs. Knox and Mrs. Elliott. The
committee on nomination reported as
follows:
President, Noah Lathrop, Northfeld;
vice president. Mre. G. Hobart. Red Wing;
second vice president, w. B. Ladd, Mime
apolis; secretary, G.. N. Woodward: assist
ant, w. Dennis.
The report OF the committee on Resolu-
tions was in the form OF a long address.
The first part of the address was occupied
with setting forth the evils OF the LIQUOR
traffic which have reached such magni-
tude and degree OF observation-disclosures that
they threaten the foundations OF governs
ment, society and the home.n Not the
least of these evils is the corrupt use Of
money to Influence elections and leg1sla-
tion. The latter part of the address was
occupied with consideration of the
remedy.
AND THIS is THE REMEDY.
The saloon, it set forth, has entered pol.
itics with it's own methods and weapons.
1t has allied itself with the two old parties
and to-day rules them witha rod OF iron.
While thousands OF voters in both the old
parties are hostile to the licensed saloons
their voice is silenced. their wishes ignored
and they vote the ticket dictated largely
by the liquor dealers, their paid attorneys
and substituted newspapers. We submit in
all candor that the prospect OF obtain
either in Minnesota or in the nation,
through the agency OF either OF the old
political parties, is delusiye. The Demo-
cratic leaders make no pretensions in that
direction. while the Republican, leaders,
for the most part, make nothing but pre-
tense. In consideration of these facts and
standing to the doctrine that the saloon
system as it exists in the United States
ought to be abolished and prohibited by
constitutional and legislative enactments.
we therefore pledge ourselves anew to the
maintenance OF the Prohibition party
as absolutely essential both to the
establishments of prohibitory law and its
enforcement. We assert without fear OF
successful contradiction that the professed
attempt to lessen .intempera nee and vice
by restricting sales under the highest law,
is practically a failure. The diminution
OF dram shops is scarcely appreciable,
while those remaining, paying high Ii
cense, have an abundant opportunity to
increase their sales. make more drnnkards,
and cause an increase OF paupersm, crime,
and public expense. The principle in IL
cvnsing public evil isitself fundamentally
wrong. We believe that local option
as advocated by the old parties is a
delusion apd asnare, wrongin principle and
in practice a failure. II local option
be correct in principle, why not
submit poygamy to the voters Of
each town in Utah? Why not submit
gambling to the voters of each city? Why
not vote at each election on licensing for
money all other crimes known to modern
civlization? The issue can never be per-
manently settled by option and we pro.
pose to fight it out on the prohibition line
if takes a lifetime. We maintain that
the entire prohibition of the saloon traffic
is a principle sound in law and ethics and
practically possible-the first PROPOSE.
tion having been sustained by the
highest tribunals and the record proven,
not only by experience and the direct
testimony OF eminent men, bnt by the
writings OF the rum power itself. That
thesgovernmental power to abate the al.
2cohol nuisance without compensation to
owner is, and OF right ought to be, as in
herent and patent in the people as the
right to abate a slaughter house or soap
factory without compensation.
Z e . s % 1g